Screwing device for screwstoppered vessels



May 28,1940. H. SICKEL SCREWING DEVICE FOR SCREW-STOPPERED VESSELS FiledJuly 1, 1937 m m w n #52 MUT 51061..

Q A Trot/f Patented May 28, 1940 UNETED STATES SCREWING DEVICE. FORSCREW- STOPPERED VESSELS Helmut Sickel, Leipzig, Germany ApplicationJuly 1, 1937, Serial No. 151,438

- In Germany July 3, 1936 9 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for mechanically screwing caps forscrew-stoppered vessels. The use of screw-stoppered vessels, which isconstantly increasing, involves at present the 5 drawback that manualtightening of the caps requires much time and, owing to-the strain puton the fingers, can be carried out by a person for a limited periodonly.

It is the object of the invention to provide de- 10 vices for overcomingthese difficulties. Toprevent straining of the fingers one of the partsto be united, for instance the screw cap, is mechanically rotated bymeans having only frictional connection therewith in such manner thatthe 15 part will engage the thread of the other part, i. e., the vessel,manually or mechanically brought into contact with the first part.

The screwing means coming only into frictional connection with the capor cover operates 20 independently of the number of threads and maycomprise a friction band, friction bar, etc. Until it engages thethreads of the vessel the cap is prevented from dropping down by asupport entering the opening thereof or by means 25 which looselysurround it and may be a ring, tube, etc. A tube is particularlyadvantageous, as it can serve also for feeding caps.

The device according to the invention permits a much larger output thanis obtainable by hand 30 and the output can be increased still more byfeeding both caps and vessels mechanically instead of manually. The capsmay be fed from a magazine containing them in proper order to the vesselor to cap holding means or a closing 35 station. If caps are irregularlykept in a container, a special device is required for picking them outone by one, straightening them and bringing them into uniform positionrelative to the vessel.

to In the mechanical straightening of irregularly disposed screw capsthe invention takes advantage of the fact that the cover or screw cap isa hollow body open on one side, with its center of gravity locatedoutside its spatial center. A

45 cap may therefore be picked up from a heap by a means so constructedthat the cap can enter it and remain therein only when its opening has acertain position, whilst the position corresponding to the center ofgravity can be brought about for instance by letting the cap drop. A capcan be prevented from occupying a wrong position or remaining therein bybeing fed to a straightening device with sufficient force to overcomefrictional resistances, and the same effect can be attained by an aircurrent directed against the arrows in Fig. 2 the cap 8 placed on thevessel l2 and held in proper position thereon meets the cap.Particularly favorable results can be obtained by dropping the caps inreceptacles formed according to the type of cap used and having forinstance the shape of an egg cup. The caps positioned with their openingon top in the di- 5 rection of the center of gravity are then passed bya turning device to the receptacle or magazine; in case of a receptaclehaving egg cup shape this is done in a very simple manner by dumping thecaps into a'tube which may serve 10 as magazine or be connected withone. The device according to the invention permits an additionalconsiderable increase in output or an essential simplification ofoperations if the Vessels are mechanically conveyed to the "screwingstation and, within range of the conveying means, the filling device aswell as other appliances, such as a labelling machine, required for theproper finishing of the vessels are ar ranged. I By way of example, oneof various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a machine for filling andclosing vessels, wherein the filling and closing operations occur duringthe motion of the vessels; and Fig. 2 is a sectional top view of themachine shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 shows a modified cap sorting device foruse in connection with the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, i3 is a base plate on whichthe vessels l2 aredisplaced. Displacement is continually effected by achain 520 with drivers 530 which push the vessels in front of them. Thechain 520 is guided over sprocket wheels 540, 550. A wall 56 surroundingthe path of motion of the vessels prevents them from turning outlaterally. At the point B in Fig. 2 a cap 8 is placed on the vessel l2.During further motion in the direction of 40 a friction surface 57 bywhich it is rotated-and thus screwed on the vessel l2. The vessel, too,strikes a friction surface 58 which is oppositely arranged relative tothe friction surface 51 for the caps, so that while the vessel !2 ispassing along this friction surface 58rotation is imparted to it in adirection opposite to that of the cap 8. When the cap 8 is firmlyscrewed to the attached to it slides along. the remaining portion of h fs 5 a d irwit i ieey Pets. 5

tion. The friction surfaces 51, 58 are radially adjustable relative tothe shaft 53 supporting the toothed wheel 5% and may also be underspring action, as indicated at 50. The frictional covering for thesurfaces 51, 58 as well as for the friction wheels and discs in thepreviously described constructions consists of leather, rubber, etc.

Caps are put on vessels at B by a supply tube Bl which is carried by anarm 63 disposed on the shaft 59 and which thus moves at the same speedas the portion of the chain 526 passed about the sprocket Wheel 5 56.The superposed caps contained in the tube 5! lie therein with theiropening downwards and are normally retained by a clamping springs 54provided at the lower outlet and acting against the lowermost cap. Thespring 65 is connected with a slide 5 guided on the arm 63 and drawnback at B at the proper time by a stop 66 disposed in its path in suchmanner that the spring M permits the lowermost cap to leave the tube tiand to sit on the neck of the vessel l2 positioned underneath whilestill remaining with its end in the tube 6! to be held in correctposition for screwing. The cap is thus kept in position until, owing tothe rotation of the parts to be screwed together, the threads are inengage ment.

As the tube Bl must discharge a cap 8 only when a vessel 12 is in properposition to receive it, means must therefore be provided for preventingdischarge of a cap from the tube if a vessel happens not to be there.This safeguard consists in that abutment or stop 66 is movable withrespect to the wall 56 and forming a lever, which is provided with aprojection or nose 6'! protruding into the path of motion of the vesselsl2. Normally, said stop 65 is held in a position not to influence theslide 65 which moves past. When, however, a vessel moves along the path,it pushes said nose 6'! of lever 66 in an outward direction whereby thesaid lever retracts the slide 65, when the latter impinges upon thelever. To fill the tube 6!, which can accommodate only a limited numberof caps, a special device is provided to replace hand filling whichwould require stopping of the machine and interruption of working.

This device comprises a reservoir '10 disposed ona pillar 68 of themachine frame 69 and containing one or more scoops which circulate abouta shaft H and at each motion pick one cap out of the pile. The shaft His driven by a belt 13 from a rope pulley M which is connected with theshaft 59 by a bevel gear 15. When a scoop 12 has passed the Zenith, thecap held by it drops owing to centrifugal force out of it and into atube 76 in front of which two walls H are provided between which thescoop can pass and which prevent lateral deviation of the cap. The tube76 opens into a funnel l8 into which the cap drops and the inner spaceof which is large enough .to permit free rotation of the cap in anydirection. The funnel 18 forms the end of a piping 79 with which at 80 acompressed air delivery pipe 8| is connected. The compressed air comingthrough the pipe 81 subjects the cap that has dropped in the funnel T8to a whirling motion until the cap has occupied a position where itsopening is on top. When the air current is interrupted, the cap slidesdown in the tube 18 up to the compressed air connection 80. The portion19' of the tube 19 into which the cap passes can be moved out of thefull line position in Fig. 1 into the dotted line .position where thepipe member 19' is disposed in front of the opening of a tube 82. Theportion 19 of the tube I9 is preferably constructed as bore of a. plugof cook 83 rotatable in a casing 84. For turning the plug 83 a toothedwheel, secured to the outside, is provided which -is engaged by a rack85 moved to and fro by a connecting rod 86 which with its other end isarticulated to a crank pin 8! of the rope pulley 14.

During rotation of the pipe portion 19 the upwardly directed opening ofthe cap is turned down, so that the cap is passedto the tube' 82substantially in the position which it must have to engage the vessell2. The tube 82 opens above the disc 62 at such a distance from theshaft 59 that the upper opening of the tube 6i periodically passes underthe opening of the tube 82, when a cap in the tube 82 may enter the tube6 l. At any other, position of the disc 62 or tube iii the tube 82 isclosed by the disc 62.

The filling device shown on the left of Figs. 1, 2 comprises. a rotatingcolumn 88 driven from the chain 520. Above said column 88, there isprovided a double pump 89 the pistons of which are connected with a pin90 which is stationary and eccentrically arranged relative to the column88. During rotation of the column one; pump draws liquid from areservoir 9| placed on the column 88 whilst out of the other cylinderpreviously sucked up liquid is forced. The cylinders are provided withdownwardly directed filling pipes Q2 which are displaceable and servealso as slide valves. Liquid can enter the filling pipes 92 from thepump cylinders only when the pipes are pressed back, which isautomatically effected by the vessels to be filled and placedunderneath. For this purpose, the vessels are conveyed in this part ofthe machine on plates 93 that can be raised and lowered while rotatingwith the column 88 by means of a stationary cam path M on which themembers 95 carrying the plates 93 move with their lower end. Atlowermost position the plates -93 are on a level with the base plate ISon which the vessels l2 are moved past the screwing station, so that thevessels without difiiculty can be pushed from the base plate I 3 onwhich they pass to the introduction station 0 at D upon a plate, 93 andat E again from the plate 813 onto the base plate l3, the arrangement ofa vessel corning from the base plate I3 on a plate 93 at D and theremoval of a vessel from a plate 93 to the base plate l3 at E beingsimultaneously effected by means of the arms 530 of the chain 520. Theposition of the filling device shown in Fig. 1 does not coincide withthe position of the arms 530 in Fig. 2, and relative to Fig. 2 thefilling device in Fig. 1 should be turned 90. The representation in Fig.1 has been chosen, however, to give a clear idea of all the details ofthe filling device.

The outlet of the vessels at F is located directly near the inlet C, andboth are separated by a curved wall 96 provided with slots for thepassage of the arms 530.

If compressed air is not available, another cap sorting device (shown inFig. 3) for refilling the tube 6| could be inserted into the machineshown in Figs. 1 and 2 instead of theparts 79 to Bl in such a mannerthat 59' takes the place of 59 and 82' the place of 82. This devicepossesses a receptacle 43 into which any amount of caps is thrown. Thebottom of the receptacle 43 is formed by a rotary disc 44 having anopening 45 which can accommodate just one cap which is guided along thestationary base plate 46. Under the covering plate 41 preventing thesuccession of more caps a hole 48 is provided in the base plate 46,through which the cap drops in a container 49 arranged below and formedso that the cap, owing to its eccentric center of gravity, can come to aposition of rest only with its opening directed upwardly. This can befacilitated by shaking the container 49 which is tiltable about thepivot 50. During tilting the container 49 conveys the cap into a tube82' leading to the tube 6! in such manner that the opening of the cappoints downwardly. Tilting motion of the container 49 is effected by atoothed wheel 52 disposed on its bearing journal and engaging a toothedsegment 53 which is controlled by a curved piece 54 on the shaft 59.When the tube 82' is filled, caps additionally supplied by the container49 will drop out laterally and into a collector, not shown.

I claim:

1. A machine for closing vessels by screw caps comprising a carrier forsaid vessels, said carrier continuously moving said vessels in apredetermined path, a reservoir for said caps movable in another pathcoinciding for a distance with said path of said vessels, means fordischarging the lowermost cap from said movable reservoir at a definitepoint and at a time when a vessel is located underneath said reservoir,and means adapted to frictionally engage the circumference of said capplaced upon said vessel and to actuate for firmly screwing said cap onsaid vessel independently of the number of the threads thereof.

2. A machine for closing vessels by screw caps comprising in combinationa carrier for said vessels, said carrier continuously moving saidvessels in a predetermined path, a reservoir for said caps movable inanother path coinciding for a distance with said path of said vessels,means for discharging the lowermost cap from said movable reservoir at adefinite point and at a time when a vessel is located underneath saidreservoir, means adapted to frictionally engage the circum ference ofsaid cap placed upon said vessel for firmly screwing said cap on saidvessel, and a stationary reservoir for refilling the movable reservoirduring its passage under the outlet of said stationary reservoir.

3. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising meansfor continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, areservoir for said caps, means for conveying one of said caps from saidreservoir to a respective vessel, rotatable means loosely holding saidone of said caps in proper position on said respective vessel, meansdisposed at a portion of said path for frictionally engaging thecircumference of said cap while being rotated to firmly screw the sameon said vessel, and means for engaging said vessel to hold the latteragainst a rotation at a speedat which said cap is rotating during thecap-screwing operation.

4. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising meansfor continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, a chutefor superposing therein said caps, means for releasing the lowermost capfrom said chute at a time when a respective vessel is located underneathsaid chute, rotatable means loosely holding said one of said caps inproper position on said respective vessel, means disposed at a portionof said path for frictionally engaging the circumference of said capwhile being rotated to firmly screw the same on said vessel, and meansfor engaging said vessel to hold the latter against a rotation at aspeed at which said cap is rotating during the cap-screwing operation.

5. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising meansfor continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, areservoir for said caps movable in another path coinciding for adistance with said path of said vessels, means for intermittentlydischarging the lowermost cap from said movable reservoir at apredetermined point and at a time when a respective vessel is locatedunderneath said reservoir, means for loosely holding said one of saidcaps in proper position on said respective vessel, means disposed at aportion of said path for frictionally engaging the circumference of saidcap to firmly screw the same on said vessel, means for engaging saidvessel to hold the latter against a rotation at a speed at which saidcap is rotating during the cap-screwing operation. 6. A 'machine forclosing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising means for continuouslymoving said vessels in a predetermined path, a reservoir for said capsmovable in another path coinciding for a distance with said path of saidvessels, means for intermittently discharging the lowermost cap fromsaid movable reservoir at a predetermined point and at a time when arespective vessel is located underneath said reservoir, and a stationaryreservoir having an outlet, said stationary reservoir for refilling themovable reservoir during its passage under the outlet of said stationaryreservoir, means for loosely holding said one of said caps in properposition on said respective vessel, means disposed at a portion of saidpath for frictionally engaging the circumference of said cap to firmlyscrew the same on said vessel, means for engaging said vessel to holdthe latter against a rotation at a speed at which said cap is rotatingduring the I cap-screwing operation.

7. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprisingmeans: for continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, areservoir containing said caps in a disordered heap, means forsuccessively transferring said caps from said reservoir to respectivevessels and in proper position, an outlet provided in said reservoir fordischarge of one cap at a time, said transferring means including ascoop-like container disposed at said outlet for holding said one capwith its opening upwardly directed caused by the centre of gravitythereof, and a chute, said container movable toward said chute forplacing said one cap with its opening downwards into said chute fordirecting said cap therethrough to a respective vessel, means forloosely holding said one of said caps in proper position on saidrespective vessel, means disposed at a portion of said path forfrictionally engaging the circumference of said cap to fir'm'fy screwthe same on said Vessel, means for engaging said vessel to hold thelatter against a rotation at a speed at which said cap is rotatingduring the cap-screwing operation.

8. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising meansfor continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, a

posed at said outlet of said chute, a piping for Compressed air forsupplying the latter toward said funnel for positioning a cap in saidfunnel, a vertical duct directed toward said path, and a 'turnablemember adjacent said funnel and said duct for intermittently dischargingsaid positioned cap from said funnel to said duct for placing said capon a respective vessel, means for loosely holding said one of said capsin proper position on said respective vessel, means disposed at aportion of said path for frictionally engaging the circumference of saidcap to firmly screw the same on said vessel, means for engaging saidvessel to hold the latter against a rotation at a speed at which saidcap is rotating during the cap-screwing operation.

9. A machine for closing vessels by screw threaded caps comprising meansfor continuously moving said vessels in a predetermined path, areservoir for said caps, means for conveying one of said caps from saidreservoir to a respective vessel, rotatable means loosely holding saidone of said caps in proper position on said respective vessel, meansdisposed at a portion of said path for frictionaily engaging thecircumference of said cap While being rotated to firmly screw the sameon said vessel, and friction means opposite said engaging means forcausing rotation of said vessel in a direction opposite to that of saidcap, said vessel friction means being adjustably and resilientlyarranged with respect to said path.

HELMUT SICKEL.

